Convertible tufting machines

ABSTRACT

A convertible tufting machine for producing long-nap or shagtype pile fabrics of varying length or for producing pile heights of standard or conventional pile heights including an adjustable, transfer-type looper mechanism for producing the shag pile tufted fabrics and which can be adjusted for operation as a standard tufting machine.

United States Patent Inventor Charles W. Watkins Soddy, Tenn.

Appl. No. 86,415

Filed Nov. 3, 1970 Patented Nov. 9, 1971 Assignee The Singer Company New York, N.Y.

CONVERTIBLE TUFTING MACHINES Primary Examiner-James R. Boler AnorneysMarshall J. Breen, Chester A. Williams, Jr. and

Julian Falk ABSTRACT: A convertible tufting machine for producing gclaimsnnrawing Figs long-nap or shag-type pile fabrics of varying length or for 11.8. C1 112/79 R producing pile heights of standard or conventional pile heights lnt.Cl.... D05c 15/22 including an adjustable, transfer-type looper mechanism for Field of Search 112/79 R, producing the shag pile tufted fabrics and which can be ad- 79 A. 266, 410, 220, 221 justed for operation as a standard tufting machine.

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ATTORNEY WITNESS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is known in the art to provide tufting machines having a so-called transfer looper mechanism for producing long-nap or shag pile height wherein the needle mechanism is operated at normal or conventional stroke lengths and a first looper mechanism intercepts a loop of yarn from the needle and extends the same to a desired height and a second looper mechanism intercepts the loop from the first looper mechanism to hold the same and for cooperating with a knife mechanism to produce a cut pile. See, for example, US. Pat Nos. 2,423,606; 2,423,607 and 2,423,608 to J. K. McCutchen each of which was issued on July 8, 1947. However, these machines suffered from the drawback that, although they produced long nap for shag pile fabrics, the pile height could not be varied in that the looper mechanism was substantially fixed in its operational movements. Insofar as this applicant is aware, these machines have never become commercially popular. It is also known in the art that shag-type fabrics can be produced by extending or increasing the needle stroke of the machine and by providing relatively long needles. Needles in lengths of 7 to 8 inches in overall length which would penetrate the cloth to depth of desired pile height have been used but with such needles it is necessary to slow the operation of the machine down to approximately half its normal operating speed. Further, with needles of this type a large load is imposed by the continuous pull of the cloth causing the needles to deflect badly and creating unnecessary wear on the hooks and needles and also this type of operation results in a substantial amount of missed loops. As will be apparent hereinafter, the apparatus of the present invention overcomes the defects of both the types of machine described above and provides a machine which can produce both shag pile heights of varying length at standard machine speeds and without any substantial variation in the needle stroke.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The apparatus of the present invention includes a tufting mechanism wherein a normal needle stroke is utilized, say, for example, of 2% inches. Such a needle stroke is that commonly used to produce standard, tufted pile heights in the carpet industry. The mechanism further includes a first oscillating looper mechanism which is disposed for intercepting the loop of yarn carried by the needle through the backing fabric and for extending the length of the looped yarn in accordance with the length of the oscillating stroke of said first looper means. A second looper means which has a substantially linear or reciprocal motion is disposed for intercepting a loop of yarn from the first looper means at substantially the bottom of the stroke thereof and for holding the same during the return of the first looper means and in preparation for the next needle stroke. A knife mechanism is provided for cooperation with the second looper means for severing the loops of yarn as the loops of yarn progress along the looper bill during feeding of the fabric across the support means of the tufting machine. The oscillating stroke of the first looper means is adjustable for varying the length of the loop intercepted by the needle means and can also be adjusted to a point wherein the first looper mechanism is inoperative insofar as the tufting operation is concerned. The second looper means and the knife means are also adjustable substantially toward and away from the support means of the base fabric so as to cooperate with the first looper means during operation thereof and also to cooperate with the needle means during the inoperative stage of the first looper means wherein the machine can be operated as a standard tufting machine or a standard cut pile machine. Through the use of the machine of the present invention it is possible to produce pile heights ranging from inches to 5 inches or more and all at standard tufting speeds of, for example, 500-600 stitches per minute.

The invention will be best understood when reading the following detailed description with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a sectional view through one end of the tufting machine of the invention with portions thereof cut away for illustrating the components of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. I;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. I; and

FIGS. 4-7 are schematic views showing various stages of operation of the mechanism of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1 there is shown an end view of a tufting machine having a frame generally designated as 10. Although the machine illustrated in the drawings only shows a single needle mechanism, it is to be understood that the principles described herein are applicable to multiple needle machines and that a single needle has been shown for purposes of illustration. Machines having one needle to those having 1,000 needles are well known in the art and the invention is applicable to all such machines.

With further reference to FIG. 1, a main shaft 12 is suitably supported by the machine frame 10 and is driven by a motor means, not shown, in a well-known manner. The main shaft 12 carries an eccentric member 14 which serves to impart motion to connecting rod 16. A push rod 18, supported in the machine frame, is connected to the connecting rod 16 for reciprocating motion thereof and has a needle bar 20 disposed at its lower end which carries one or a plurality of needles 22.

As is well known in the tufting art, a base fabric is fed across a supporting needle plate 24 of the tufting machine (see FIGS. 4-7) and the needle carries the yarn Y through the base fabric F and deposits loops on the opposite side of the base fabric F to form a tufted pile fabric. Suitable means are provided (not shown) for advancing the fabric across the needle plate 24 in a known manner. A looper mechanism is also provided for holding the loops of yarn deposited by the needles 22 while the needles return on the upstroke. Also, a knife mechanism may be associated with the looper mechanism for cutting the loops to provide a cut pile fabric. The mechanism thus far described is considered conventional in the tufting art.

As briefly described above, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a machine which can produce a variety of lengths of shag-type fabrics or long-nap fabrics and is also capable of use as a standard tufting machine. It has been common in the industry for carpet producers to purchase one type of machine to produce shag or long-nap fabrics and to purchase other machines for producing so-called standard tufted fabrics. Further, the shag machines which have previously been on the market have had somewhat limited capabilities in the variety and length of loops that could be produced. The machine of the present invention can be readily adjusted for producing a wide variety of shag fabrics and of substantial length in pile height and can be readily converted through relatively simple adjustment to a standard pile height machine. This thus eliminates the necessity for a carpet manufacturer to purchase more than one machine in order to be able to produce a variety of fabrics as explained above.

In accordance with the present invention, a novel adjustable looper mechanism is provided and includes a first looper means comprising a first looper 26 which is carried by a looper or hook bar 28 which is, in turn, carried by a collar 30 which is normally disposed for rotation on a shaft 32. In order to drive the shaft 32 and eventually the looper 26, a shaft 34 is driven by suitable connection to the main shaft 12 (not shown) and carries an eccentric 36 to which there is connected a connecting rod 38. As is well known, the rotation of the shaft 34 and the eccentric 36 will impart substantially a reciprocating motion to the connecting rod 38. Connecting rod 38 is connected to a connecting link 40 through a slot 42 in the link 40 as by bolt 44. It will be apparent that the position of the connecting rod 38 can be varied relative to the link 40 by loosening the bolt 44 and changing the relative position of the connecting rod in the slot 42 which will, therefore, change the stroke of link 40. The connecting link 40 is supported for rocking motion on a stationary shaft 46 at one end thereof and has a curved connecting link 68 pivotally connected thereto at one end with the link 48 being pivotally connected to another link 50 at its other end. The link 50 at its other end is provided with a collar which surrounds shaft 32 and which collar 52 is clamped to the shaft 32 by means of the split jaws 54 and a suitable bolt 56 passing therethrough in a known manner. As will be apparent during operation of the machine, the links 30, 48 and 50 will be rocked by the motion of the connecting rod 38 with the final motion being imparted to the looper 26 being an oscillating-type motion. Thus, the looper will be oscillated back and forth through an are which, according to the position of the looper, will intercept the needle substantially at its down stroke thereof and will grasp the looper yarn Y held by the needle.

By proper timing and adjustment of the looper 26, as the loop of yarn is grasped from the needle 22 the loop will be pulled down and extended to a length which corresponds with the remainder of the length of the stroke of the looper 26. Thus, the looper 26 may be adjusted such that length of its oscillatory path can be varied and consequently vary the pile heights which adjustment may be accomplished simply by loosening the bolt 44 and changing the relative position of the connecting rod 38 in slot 62. Further, the operation of the looper 26 may be completely deactivated by loosening the bolt 56 and the clamping jaws 54 of collar 52 so that the link 50 in collar 52 will no longer drive shaft 32 carrying looper 26. The looper 26 may be then manually turned downwardly on shaft 32 so that it is completely out of the way of the remainder of the tufting mechanism. As will be apparent hereinafter this feature lends to the versatility of the machine when converting it from a shag machine to a standard-type machine.

During operation of the looper 26, as the looper 26 descends in its oscillatory path with the loop of yarn Y thereon, it is intercepted by a second looper means including a looper 58 substantially at the bottom of the downward stroke of the looper 26 whereupon looper 58 takes the loop from the looper 26 and holds it thereon during the return of looper 26 to its initial position.

The looper 58 is supported in a looper bar 60 by suitable means such as setscrews or the like. The looper bar 60 is carried by a rocker arm 62 and is secured thereto by bolts 64 which are threaded into square nuts 66 which ride in slots 68 in back of the rocker arm 62. (See FIG. 2.) As illustrated in FIG. I, rocker arm 62 has a relatively long surface or face 70 upon which a surface or face 72 of the looper bar 60 is positioned. The looper 58 may be adjusted in a direction toward or away from the support means of the base fabric by loosening the bolt 64 and sliding the looper bar 60 up or down along the face 70 of the rocker arm with square nut 66 riding in slot 68. Thus, the looper 58 may be positioned at a relatively wide variety of positions corresponding to the positions which are set for the oscillating looper 26 according to the desired pile height to be tufted. Also, when the first looper means 26 is disabled, as described above, the looper 58 may be adjusted upwardly to a position wherein it will act as a standard looper mechanism conventionally known in the tufting art, where the looper 58 will be the sole and primary source for holding loops deposited during the reciprocating stroke of the needle 22. With reference to FIG. 4, the looper 58 may be said to be adjustable in a plane parallel to a tangent T of the arc A or the are described by the looper 26, when the looper 58 is at the terminal point of its motion, as shown.

The looper 58 is given a substantially reciprocating or linear motion by means of a suitable eccentric mechanism (not shown) similar to that described above which serves to rock the looper shaft 74 in a back-and-forth motion in a known manner. Collar 76 is supported on the looper shaft 743 and has a similar adjustment mechanism to the looper 26 and includes the collar 76, jaw 78 and a bolt 80 or the like. The relative position of the collar 76 may be changed on the shaft 74, as

will be apparent hereinafter, so that the looper 58 may also be moved toward and away from the needle position. A link 82 is pivotally connected to the collar 76 at one end thereof and to a rocker arm 62 at its other end thereof. It will be apparent therefore. that, as the shaft 74 is rocked back and forth, looper 58 will also be rocked back and forth in a substantially linear fashion although not strictly so. The looper 58 will have a slightly arcuate path although for purposes of the description here it may be considered a linear or reciprocating path. The rocker arm 62 is supported for pivotal movement about the shaft 643 at its opposite end, as illustrated in FIG. I.

As also described above the machine of the invention is capable of producing cut pile fabrics both in the shag and standard pile heights. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, a knife 86 is illustrated therein as carried by a knife holder 88 which is, in turn, supported in a knife bar 90. The knife bar is carried by a bracket 22 which has a bolt passing therethrough and which bracket rides in a slot 94 in the face of a supporting member 96 which is, in turn, disposed on the machine frame as by bolting or the like. As seen in FIG. I, the knife bar and holder 88 hold the knife in a position adjacent to the loopers 58 in order to cut the loops as they pass toward the rearward portion of the looper 58 during advancement of the fabric in a well-known manner.

As further seen in FIG. 3, the support member 96 is provided with a groove or slot 100 in a rear portion thereof in which rides a tapped rod 102 into which the bolt 104 is threaded. As seen in FIG. I, the slot 100 has a relatively long face I06 upon which rests a surface of tapped rod I02. It will be apparent, therefore, that by loosening bolt 104 in the tapped rod 102, the whole knife block mechanism may be raised or lowered in the same manner as the looper 58. In order to raise or lower the looper 58 and knife 86 together so that they will operate in the desired manner, it is simply necessary to place shims in the space between the looper bar 60 and the knife bar 90 and to clamp these two members together so that they may be raised and lowered together and then locked into position while still maintaining the same orientation. The tapped rod 102 is of sufficient length so that it may be struck lightly at the bottom for initiating a change in position of the looper 58 and knife 86. Thus, as the oscillating path of the first looper 26 is adjusted to produce different pile heights, the knife 86 and looper 58 will also be changed by a relatively simple and quick adjustment so that the mechanism will be again coordinated for producing the desired pile height. The knife mechanism is of the so-called stationary type and does not reciprocate or oscillate with respect to the looper 58. The loops are cut as the fabric is advanced and the loops move toward the rear portion of the looper 58 and as the looper goes through its reciprocating motion, the loop towards the rearmost portion of the looper will be severed as the looper passes the cutting edge of the knife. Thus the loop carried by the looper 58 is drawn across the knife edge by the motion of the looper 58.

The operation of the machine is best understood by reference to FIGS. 4-7. As seen in FIG. 4, the needle 22 is illustrated at a position wherein it is substantially at the bottom of its stroke. When the needle 22 with the yarn Y reaches this position in looper 26 will have rotated into a position to intercept the loop of yarn Y on the needle 22 and to hold the same. As the needle 22 rises on its return stroke the looper 26 will extend the loop of yarn Y as it rotates in an oscillating motion to an extent determined in accordance with the adjustment of the stroke of said looper 26.

As the looper 26 reaches its lowermost position, the looper 58 will have been reciprocated into a position for intercepting the loop of yarn Y and will hold the same during the return trip of the looper 26. (See FIG. 5.) It will be seen from FIG. 4, that, as the looper 58 reciprocates on its return trip with the loop Y, it will pass the stationary knife 86 whereupon the loop of yarn Y at the rearmost portion of the looper 58 will be severed. Referring to FIG. 6, there is illustrated therein the operation of the mechanism wherein the loopers have been adjusted to produce a relatively lower or shorter pile height. The operation is otherwise the same as described above.

In FIG. 7 the looper 26 has been disabled in the manner described above so that it takes no part in the operation. The looper 58 and the knife 86 have been adjusted to a position for intercepting the loop of yarn Y from the needle 22 during its downstroke thereof so that the operation is substantially the same as in a standard cut pile machine. It may also be necessary to rotate or move the looper 58 and its related mechanism to a position closer to needle 22 in order to accurately intercept. This can be done by loosening the bolt 80 and thus collar 76 which can then be rotated clockwise about shaft 74 to bring the looper 58 to a closer relationship with needle 22. It should also be understood that the machine may also include such mechanisms as an adjustable bed support plate or bedplate means and adjustable needle stroke means for varying the pile height in order to-produce the so-called conventional pile heights when the machine is operated in the lastdescribed mode. It will also be obvious that the knife 86 can be eliminated and the looper 58 reversed in its position so that the machine will operate as a standard loop pile machine or in combination with the looper 26 to produce a long pile height or shag fabric of the uncut or loop pile variety. In this type of operation the loops are fed off the looper 58 as the fabric is advanced in a well-known manner for producing loop pile fabrics.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:

1. In a tufting machine including a support means, means for advancing a base fabric across said support means and needle means for carrying loops of yarn through said base fabric to produce tufts therein, a first oscillating looper means, means for adjusting said first looper means for varying the length of the oscillations thereof, said first looper means being operable for intercepting a loop of yarn from said needle and extending the length of said loop of yarn from said needle, second. looper means, said second looper means being operable for intercepting a loop of yarn from said first looper means substantially at one end of the stroke of said first looper means, said second looper means being adjustable substantially toward and away from said support means into cooperating relationship with said first looper means and said needle, whereby said first and second looper means can be adjusted for forming loops having a pile height varying from a minimum height substantially equal to the depth of the needle penetration through the base fabric to a maximum height equal to the maximum oscillating stroke of said first looper means.

2. ln a tufting machine as recited in claim 1 further comprising cutting means cooperating with said second looper means for severing loops of yarn held by said second looper means.

3. In a tufting machine as recited in claim 2 wherein said cutting means includes a knife with said knife being stationary relative to said second looper means such that said loops are severed during movement of said second looper means relative to said knife.

4. In a tufting machine as recited in claim 1 wherein said first and said second looper means are adjustable such that said first looper means can be rendered inoperative and said second looper means is adjustable to a position for intercepting loops of the yarn from said needle.

5. In a tufting machine as recited in claim 4 further comprising cutting means cooperating with said second looper means for severing loops of yarn held by said second looper means.

6. In a tufting machine as recited in claim 1 wherein said second looper means is adjustable in a plane parallel to a tangem of an arc described by said first oscillating looper means.

7. In a tufting machine as recited in claim 6 wherein said second looper means has a substantially reciprocal motion.

8. In a tufting machine as recited in claim 7 further comprising stationary knife means cooperating with said second looper means for severing loops of yarn held by said second locaper means during relative movement thereof.

. In a tufting machine as recited in claim 8 wherein said second looper means and said stationary knife means are independently adjustable.

l l t t t 

1. In a tufting machine including a support means, means for advancing a base fabric across said support means and needle means for carrying loops of yarn through said base fabric to produce tufts therein, a first oscillating looper means, means for adjusting said first looper means for varying the length of the oscillations thereof, said first looper means being operable for Intercepting a loop of yarn from said needle and extending the length of said loop of yarn from said needle, second looper means, said second looper means being operable for intercepting a loop of yarn from said first looper means substantially at one end of the stroke of said first looper means, said second looper means being adjustable substantially toward and away from said support means into cooperating relationship with said first looper means and said needle, whereby said first and second looper means can be adjusted for forming loops having a pile height varying from a minimum height substantially equal to the depth of the needle penetration through the base fabric to a maximum height equal to the maximum oscillating stroke of said first looper means.
 2. In a tufting machine as recited in claim 1 further comprising cutting means cooperating with said second looper means for severing loops of yarn held by said second looper means.
 3. In a tufting machine as recited in claim 2 wherein said cutting means includes a knife with said knife being stationary relative to said second looper means such that said loops are severed during movement of said second looper means relative to said knife.
 4. In a tufting machine as recited in claim 1 wherein said first and said second looper means are adjustable such that said first looper means can be rendered inoperative and said second looper means is adjustable to a position for intercepting loops of the yarn from said needle.
 5. In a tufting machine as recited in claim 4 further comprising cutting means cooperating with said second looper means for severing loops of yarn held by said second looper means.
 6. In a tufting machine as recited in claim 1 wherein said second looper means is adjustable in a plane parallel to a tangent of an arc described by said first oscillating looper means.
 7. In a tufting machine as recited in claim 6 wherein said second looper means has a substantially reciprocal motion.
 8. In a tufting machine as recited in claim 7 further comprising stationary knife means cooperating with said second looper means for severing loops of yarn held by said second looper means during relative movement thereof.
 9. In a tufting machine as recited in claim 8 wherein said second looper means and said stationary knife means are independently adjustable. 